November, 2010

Apparently Men have a secret way of decoding the typical words that women use. I remember reading this and thinking ‘How crappy that I have to admit that some of this stuff is so darn true’! Which One Are You Ladies!

1. FINE: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

2. FIVE MINUTES: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.
3. NOTHING: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

4. GO AHEAD: This is a dare, not permission. Don’t Do It!

5. LOUD SIGH: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)

6. THAT’S OKAY: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That’s okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7. THANKS: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you’re welcome (I want to add in a clause here – This is true, unless she says ‘Thanks a lot’ – that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say ‘you’re welcome’ … that will bring on a ‘whatever’).

8. WHATEVER: Is a women’s way of saying F*cK YOU!
9. DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT, I GOT IT/I’LL: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking ‘What’s wrong?’ For the woman’s response refer to # 3.

THIS IS THE COUNTER ATTACK Live n Learn Ladies…Live n Learn!

A. “SURE. I’LL THROW THE TRASH/RUBBISH OUT RIGHT NOW.” – TRANSLATES TO – “If I remember to throw out the trash during the commercial break, I will do so. If I forget, then you’ll have to remind me again

B. “IS SOMETHING WRONG?” – TRANSLATES TO – “What did I do wrong now? And how long is it going to take for you to figure out how to blame me for whatever it is you’re upset about? I don’t have all night.”

C. “SURE, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT?” – TRANSLATES TO – “I will sit and listen, but I can’t promise you that I’ll pay attention. You have 3 minutes before the game comes back from commercial break….

D. “NO, THAT DOESN’T MAKE YOUR BUTT LOOK BIG” – TRANSLATES TO “When you know ‘no’ is the only answer, why do you ask?”

E. “NO, SHE’S NOT PRETTIER THAN YOU” – TRANSLATES TO – “Same as #4. How stupid do you think i am? It’s a rhetorical question, you don’t have to answer it. Although, I have a feeling you’ll let me know anyway.”
“I’M SORRY.” – TRANSLATES TO – “I don’t know what I’m apologizing for, but it seems to be the only thing that’ll let me watch the rest of this darn game.”

F. “YOU’RE RIGHT, I’M WRONG.” – TRANSLATES TO – “You are angry. I am hungry. You don’t cook when you’re angry. Soooo…”
“THANK YOU” – TRANSLATES TO – “While you’re up cooking, can you make that pie I really like?”.
“YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL” – TRANSLATES TO – “Now that the game is over, and we’re done eating… how about we… you know.

Herbal Teas and Honey…One of my fav (guilt free) hot drinks to sip on. Ok well it’s basically a case of, if you’re going to be munching on junk food then the rule is, have a cheat so you can counteract all those Krispy Kremes, Thorntons, Pizza etc etc. My cheat is herbal teas. I love the stuff, mainly because it’s not just about keeping slim and trim, it’s good for you and has so many healing effects on the body. So I’ve compiled a list of all the teas I’ve sipped on and used to cut a few ‘health corner’ plus a bit of useful information on all the good things they can do for you.

As with all remedies herbal teas are not for everyone and some of the herb manufacturers should always explain when you should avoid taking them, (pregnancy, hypertension etc) just as in conventional medicines. I’ve also come to realise that a lot of the time when people try certain herbal teas they say it doesn’t work, it’s just a case of knowing that the chances are if you were not drinking it at all the issue would probably be worse.

Healing with herbal teas can be a slow process but it is safer due to the minimal side effects or damage to other organs if taken long term (as chemical drugs can do) BUT as with everything…too much of anything is bad for you! So please don’t overload the minute you discover a tea that you can’t get enough of.

I’m a BIG time movie buff and will avidly watch a variety of movies including movies from overseas. West African movies have always glued me to my couch clutching my sides with laughter or shaking my head in disdain.

One thing I can say is that I’m sincerely not biased when it comes to reviewing movies and African movies are surely no exception. I guess it was different this time around as I’ve not watched an African Movie on a large screen so this did add some good points towards the movie, I feel it gives the movie some credibility.

I had to commend the scriptwriter/director of the movie “Shirley Frimpong Manso” and the rest of her production team. After all they made the effort to bring ‘6 Hours to Christmas’ over here to London on the big screen.

When I first heard it was coming to town I was more that excited as I was pretty much prepared to wait for the DVD to come out.

It was fantastic that the two main characters of the movie “ Chris Attoh & Damilola Adegbite” made it down for the film’s premiere where they posed for red carpet pictures and interviews.

Shirley Frimpong Manson was especially hospitable and fabulous to meet and gave us a warm welcome and a short introduction in the theatre before the movie started.

The theatre was absolutely packed out with enthusiastic cinema goers, you have to know it was worth the trip as people were willing to pay £10.00 a ticket and came out in the freezing cold temperatures for the premiere.

I think Shirley Frimpong Manso’s success with her previous movies were enough to bring people out even in this cold weather for the premiere of her latest.

I’ve watched all of Shirley’s Movies and I’ve watched enough west African movies to know she does more than a compelling and creative job.

The movie came with an awesome story line, with a surprise twists at the end and humour all the way through.

You could surely tell that huge sums of money have not been thrown into the movie but I was too distracted by the jokes and new faces to really care. As always with African movies a lot of the scenes were dragged on longer than was really necessary (no surprised there though).

My only disappointment was with the red carpet, I was thinking the stars would hit that red carpet in amazing glamour and style! I guess that is what we’re used to with the western movie industry.

Then again it is November and I “myself” was covered from top to the toe to shield out the minus degree temperature. As you can see from the photos below, Chris Attoh did not disappoint in this department and looked pretty sharp complete with the trade mark million dollar smile.

The Dvd is due out soon….

Check out the photos below, click on photos to enlarge for proper view

It is only natural that as human beings, we wake up each day to chase success, comfort and well being. If we are in an undesirable situation today, then it is simply because we failed to pick the right step in our efforts yesterday.

The correlation between our today and tomorrow certainly follows the relationship between where we find ourselves today as a result of our yesterday.

It is a common doctrine preached by many that, our input today determines our out put tomorrow. What we will attain tomorrow will simply be a mirror reflection of our today.

Our success and all that we wish for in the nearest future therefore rest on our today. Finding the right path today will bring you to the right destination tomorrow.

Failing to act today, will bring you nothing tomorrow, after all, you did nothing today so why should you expect any return? If our success tomorrow is determined by our efforts today, then we surely have a lot to do today so as to achieve the lot that we want tomorrow. (more…)

I absolutely love this, not just because I have always been an enthusiastic Brandy Fan, it makes a decent difference from all the grinding and gyrating music filling our screens nowadays (everything in moderation oh). (more…)

Premenstrual Tension? Or just an excuse for rude and coarse behaviour? I’m only asking because as much as it gets on my very last nerve when men make this unfair assumption, a clear distinction does have to be made between the two.

I’m sure if you’ve ever experienced PMT/PMS you will know that, heck yes! It does exist. Whilst some of us may experience it in mild form and get pretty much get away with throwing a few dirty looks around for a few days, some of us females on the other hand have it a lot tougher. We know and pals like this right? Unless you’re that pal in question!

You may have heard this condition being referred to as either PMS or PMT and thinking they mean different things. The terms premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual tension (PMT) mean that same thing and used interchangeably.

The NHS reports that three out of four women say PMT significantly affects their lives, with 5 to 10 per cent classifying their PMT as severe. With that in mind, I do wonder how come so many females suffer with PMT and don’t know when, why or how this happens to them month in, month out.

In my case it’s probably because after a few days or so the crazy feelin’ dies off and I just forget about it, hope my boyfriend forgives my random outbursts and carry on as normal…until the next month of course! Well as always I can’t help ‘preaching’ and saying it’s about ‘putting up’ with something or ‘shutting up’ about it. In this case, putting up with it means making small changes to keep the emotional ups and downs at bay! Here’s what I know and have learnt that may be a very effective and quick way help with your PMT.

The term PMT is used to cover a range of symptoms experienced by some women for up to two weeks before their monthly period. There are said to be more than 100 recognised symptoms that may be due to PMT. The issue really relate to the extent of disruption to your home and work life that’s attributable to the monthly cycle.

Of course I should add that none of these symptoms are exclusive to PMT. These symptoms can also be caused by other conditions such as depression, stress, thyroid gland problems (under- or over-activity) and anaemia. The obvious give away for knowing if it is PMT is that the symptoms will appear and disappear pretty much every month leading up to your menstrual cycle and in some cases right through the whole cycle.

Fortunately though, most women are only likely to experience a handful of these symptoms. I’m sure you’ll recognise the most common psychological symptoms such as irritability, mood swings, losing your temper easily, loss of confidence, crying for no particular reason, Aggression, Poor concentration, Tiredness. The Physical symptoms are you may have experienced are breast tenderness, abdominal swelling or bloating, weight gain, Swollen ankles, tiredness, headaches and possibly migraines.

If you ever talk to a friend about your PMT you’ll have figured out that your version might either be milder or more intense than what she may describe. The National Health Service explains that women who suffer from PMT may possibly have a lower than normal level of a certain chemical in their brain (serotonin), which may explain some of the non-physical symptoms such as irritability, depression and mood swings. PMT is also attributed to normal fluctuations in hormone levels (even though at the time you really don’t feel that normal). During your cycle there is an accumulation of salt and water in the system, and a reduction in progesterone, the hormone that prepares the uterus to receive a fertilised egg.

So the part that is most significant about this post…TREATMENTS. There are many treatments for PMT, most of which have some short-term benefit. It’s likely that few of the treatments only provide relief for longer than a few months. Also treatment will depend upon the nature of the symptoms and their severity. There are two types of treatments, Non-Hormonal and Hormonal. You don’t need to try all just picking one will surely make all the difference to a stressful time in the month!

NON-HORMAL TREATMENTS

Lifestyle, Diet and Exercise – For many women, simple changes to diet and lifestyle, reducing alcohol (alcohol robs the body of essential vitamins and minerals which helps to regulate our hormone levels) and caffeine intake (caffeine lowers the body’s ability to absorb certain essential nutrients, and can aggravate skin problems) and cutting down on cigarettes will make the monthly symptoms more bearable.

Something quick and simple that can make a very big difference is eating less salt to reduce water retention.

Reduce sugar intake to combat weight gain and depression. Control sugar cravings by taking a Vitamin B complex with added magnesium and chromium.

Vitamin B6 Supplements – This vitamin is commonly recommended for mood swings and irritability. Lack of Vitamin B6 is said to also cause irregularity in the menstrual cycle. There is said to be some interesting scientific support for its use for mild symptoms, but you need to be careful not to take too high a dose. It is advisable to consult your doctor before starting treatment.

Evening Primrose Oil (EPO) – Capsules of EPO can be helpful in alleviating premenstrual breast pain in some women. However, the evidence in favour of its effect is slight and it has been withdrawn from NHS prescription for this reason.

Diuretics (water tablets) – This option is one that may give relief from ankle swelling. They will not relieve abdominal bloating, which is not caused by fluid retention but by relaxation and distension of the muscle in the wall of the bowel. Diuretics need to be prescribed by a doctor and should only be taken for a few days each month in the lowest of doses.

Herbs and Spices– Camomile tea, taken two or three times a day in the week or fortnight before the start of a period is calming, and acts as a diuretic, removing some of the body’s retained fluid.

Stronger herbal diuretics, known as boldo, dandelion, juniper and parsley can also be used. Most herbal diuretics work gently on toning and strengthening the body’s kidney function, with none of the harsh effects of conventional diuretics.

Another natural way of restoring hormone levels is the herb Wild Yam, which contains phytoprogesterone, a natural form of progesterone, and successfully used in the treatment of menopausal symptoms, may be used as an alternative to the synthetic hormone, progesterone, which is often prescribed in various forms to be taken during the second half of the menstrual cycle to restore hormone levels. Many women feel more confident taking a ‘natural’ rather than a synthetic hormone.

HORMAL TREATMENTS

There are several types of hormonal treatments available for more severe and intense PMT however due to nature of this treatment you will need to consult your Dr. These treatments include Combined Oral Contraceptive (COC) pill (although some of the side effects can sometimes be similar to that of PMT so for me this is very questionable). Danazol (synthetic hormone based on the male hormone testosterone), Oestrogen patches and implants, Mirena intra-uterine system (IUS) (a contraceptive device) and of course prescribed drugs.

For more professional and comprehensive advice and information visit www.pms.org.uk.

So now you know mine! Tell us your PMT stories and what helps you chill out!

It’s tempting to wear the darker nail polish colours in the winter but there are no rules that say you can’t go bright and vibrant on those cold chilly and grey days. These shades are right on the ‘nail’ for a burst of summer during the winter.

Barry M is a London Based makeup brand that will make autumn/winter the new season to look forward to! An array of nail colours perfect for all skin tones from Mahogany to honey, no more black or navy polish to wear with the autumn typical wardrobe, the Barry M varnish in coral is the perfect colour pop for the autumn/winter season that floods the shops with browns, blacks and grey!

This brand of varnish shows how you don’t have to pay over £10 for a quality polish. It leaves a smooth and shiney finish plus it lasts for days (minus the instense spring cleaning session of course lol) - tried and tested!

Tips! Before you use your main nail polish use a clear varnish or base coat before the main colour to protect the nails. Darker or brighter colours can damage and stain your nails leaving it an odd colour!

Add an extra kick to the finishing look your nails by using the Barry M clear varnish over the top of your dried nail varnish. I use the Barry M brand of clear varnish even when I use other more expensive brands. Pictures 1 & 2 are examples of this. Picture 3 is without the clear varnish top coat. See the difference?

I plan to wear the coral shade with a gold wrist watch and an abundance of autumn winter staples, including furs, tweeds, leathers and the seasons must have; a camel coat.

Buy Barry M for £2.95 online or at all good Boots or Superdrug stores. If you’re lucky and feel spoilt for choice on the colours you can pick up two for £5, and bag yourself the lilac shade that will have people stopping you in the street asking how you got your summer fix in the autumn.